As you know, Pope Benedict XVII is in the midst of his first visit (as pope) to the United States. Realizing that America is one of the most religiously diverse countries in the world, one of the events he participated in was an ecumenical prayer service at Saint Joseph’s Church in Yorkville, New York. During […]
Questions from Pope Benedict for RCIA Teams
Rita Ferrone, one of the team members here at TeamRCIA, recently published Liturgy: Sacrosanctum Concilium (Rediscovering Vatican II). It’s an excellent resource for catechumenate ministers who would like more background about the meaning and purpose of the liturgy. I wrote a review of the book on Amazon, which begins: Rita Ferrone’s brief examination of the
Learn more about liturgy with this new resource
If you have inquirers who are ready to become catechumens now, you need to celebrate the Rite of Acceptance with them before Pentecost in order for them to be eligible for initiation at the next Easter Vigil. Flip open your RCIA to the very back. Look for the section that is titled “Appendix III: National
Author and scholar Karen Armstrong spoke at the annual TED conference in Monterey, California, in February 2008. She spoke about how the Abrahamic religions — Islam, Judaism, Christianity — have been diverted from the moral purpose they share to foster compassion. Note especially her distinction between intellectual assent and faithful practice (about three and a
The catechumenate and world peace
One of the questions that is often posed about the catechumenate is “What about the summer?” Then follow a number of reasons why it simply isn’t realistic to expect ongoing catechesis throughout the summer months. After all, it’s vacation time, the Team needs a break, people don’t show up, etc. Perhaps a reflection on the
15 ways RCIA teams can catechize this summer
There is a fine post on Walking the Rite Way that gives some insight about why moving toward a mystagogical process and away from an information delivery process is so difficult. This passage in particular names the fear that keeps many of us from taking the leap: It’s quite challenging, is this. It leaves the
As you know, there are four pillars of catechesis on which we need to help the catechumens build a life of faith: word, worship, community, and service (see RCIA, 75). January 1 is World Day of Peace, and it is an excellent time to strengthen the catechumens in the area of service. Pope Benedict has
QCan you take RCIA classes online? A“RCIA” is an acronym for “Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.” It is first of all a rite and therefore cannot be done online. Sometimes we think of becoming a Christian as simply a matter of making an intellectual assent to a body of beliefs. This notion leads us
Can you take RCIA classes online?
Benedict XVI released his letter, “Saved by Hope,” to coincide with Advent, the church’s great season of hope. In John Allen’s summary of the letter, he makes the point that a major concern of this pope is reasserting Catholic identity in a world dominated by earthly values. The theme of Benedict’s first letter was love.
Teach the catechumens about Advent hope
Preparation Prayerfully read the scriptures for Sunday Read a commentary on the scriptures Identify at least three church teachings that flow from the readings (you won’t use all three, but it helps to be prepared) Look up related topics in the Catechism of the Catholic Church to refresh your understanding of these teachings For each
How to lead a 90-minute catechetical session
